COVENTRY kid Stephen Ward is gearing up for a jaw-dropping feat of rowing the distance across the English Channel.

What makes this charity challenge even more astonishing is that for Stephen just standing up requires a phenomenal display of effort and willpower.

The 28-year-old remains partially paralysed after a car crash on Woodway Lane six years ago.

Stephen was on his way to visit his dad in hospital but in a tragic twist of irony he spent the next six months confined to a hospital bed.

He recalls: “I was in hospital for nearly two years. I had to learn how to do everything again – breathing, talking, everything.”

Stephen has made incredible progress but the left side of his body is still very weak and he needs to use a wheelchair to move around.

Despite this, he has been an avid user of the AT7 sports centre in Bell Green Road for the last three years.

In the gym, Stephen met Colin Uranjek, whose granddaughter Daisy’s plight was highlighted in the Telegraph last month to raise awareness about her rare muscle wasting condition, Pompe Disease.

After Colin showed Stephen a copy of our article he set himself the goal of rowing 22 miles – the distance from Dover to Calais – on the gym rowing machines to buy Daisy a new £650 heavy duty pushchair.

Stephen, from Bell Green, said: “After Colin told me about Daisy I wanted to do something to help. I have only been training for a month but I have already got up to 20 km.”

Stephen will be joined by Daisy’s dad Carl Hollick as he attempts his marathon mission on May 1.

On the same day, gym members and staff will take turns to complete a 10-hour spin relay on the bikes to raise money for Daisy.

It is part of a string of fundraisers organised by AT7 manager Ryan Kinnie to help Daisy.

He said: “We like to raise money for good causes.

"Earlier this year we raised money to buy shelter boxes for Haiti and it’s nice to be able to help someone closer to home too.”

Members of the AT7 Centre and Rainbow Children’s Centre are also running a half marathon for Daisy.